Trump is first head of state to meet new emperor
In a lavish ceremony, President Donald Trump met Emperor Naruhito, who ascended the throne on May 1. Trump is beginning the business part of a state visit
Under a blazing hot sun at Japan’s Imperial Palace, President Donald Trump on Monday became the first world leader to meet the new emperor of Japan.
The president, who is on a fourday state visit, was the center of attention at a grand outdoor welcome ceremony where he took a solo walk down red carpets, reviewing Japanese troops as the guest of honor. The pomp and pageantry then gave way to meetings with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe about trade and other world issues.
Trump was set to meet with Japan Prime Minister Abe later on Monday and was also to attend a state banquet with the emperor later in the evening.
Trump’s “state call” opened with handshakes and greetings from Emperor Naruhito, who ascended to the throne on May 1, and his wife, Empress Masako.
As he approached the emperor, Trump said, “How are you? Thank you very much.” The first lady told the empress, “Nice to meet you.” After exchanging pleasantries inside the palace, the couples emerged and walked to a raised platform as the national anthems of both countries were played.
Trump showed little emotion, but waved near schoolchildren feverishly waving U.S. and Japanese flags. Some of the children suffered from the heat and were later seen siting with cups of water and cool compresses on their foreheads.
At the White House last week, Trump noted the significance of his meeting with the emperor. Naruhito took the throne after his father stepped down, the first abdication in Japan’s royal family in about two centuries.
“It’s a very big thing going on with the emperor. It’s something that hasn’t happened in over 200 years,” Trump said. “I am the guest, meaning the United States is the guest.”
Trump stressed that Abe “very specifically” said Trump is the guest of honor.
“With all the countries of the world, I’m the guest of honor at the biggest event that they’ve had in over 200 years,” Trump said.
It’s not the emperor who chose Trump as his first state guest. It was Abe, who is seen by some as using the invitation to meet Naruhito to curry favor with Trump who is threatening to impose potentially devastating tariffs on Japan’s auto industry, among other tensions in the relationship.
The more formal business followed a day spent playing golf and watching sumo wrestling.
Japanese sumo fans say they were happy President Donald Trump took the opportunity during his visit to Tokyo to watch the national sport in person — even if his attendance caused some changes to the usual arrangement for fans.
Trump presented a special trophy to the winner of a tournament after Sunday’s match.
Shinichiro Idehara, a 54-year-old government employee, bought a ticket after learning Trump would be going.
Idehara said “that means he has an understanding of Japanese culture and I’m happy to know that.”
Mayuko Ueda, a 22-yearold office worker, said, that it was “good to see the American leader coming to watch a national sport. I hope that helps to deepen ties.”
The Japan Sumo Association had instituted some safety precautions because of Trump, including cutting in half the number of sameday tickets sold. The throwing of zabuton cushions that participants sit on — something that’s traditionally done to express disappointment — was banned.
Meanwhile, Trump has set measured expectations for what will be accomplished during his visit, tweeting that serious trade negotiations with Japan “will wait until after their July elections,” referring to upcoming parliamentary elections. North Korea was also expected to be on the agenda.
Trump had kicked off the first full day of the state visit to Japan by playing down North Korea’s recent tests of short-range ballistic missiles, undercutting declarations by both Abe’s and the president’s own national security adviser that the launches violated U.N. resolutions.
“North Korea fired off some small weapons, which disturbed some of my people, and others, but not me,” Trump wrote on Twitter from his hotel in Tokyo before a round of golf with Abe in nearby Chiba. “I have confidence that Chairman Kim will keep his promise to me.”
As it has pursued onagain, off-again denuclearization talks with North Korea, the United States has been focused on the North’s attempt to build nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles that could reach the United States mainland.
But Japanese officials are worried about the sort of “small weapons” Trump dismissed – short-range missiles that could strike Japan and are often pointed in its direction.
As he opened the fourday visit that will focus on security, diplomacy and trade, the president appeared to risk ratcheting up Japanese anxiety that any nuclear agreement with North Korea could neglect their concerns.
The North Korean missile launches “are a breach of U.N. Security Council resolutions and extremely regrettable,” Abe said in Tokyo last week. “While cooperating closely with the U.S. and other related countries, we are planning to tackle this appropriately by strengthening enforcement of related U.N. Security Council resolutions.”
On Saturday, John R. Bolton, Trump’s national security adviser, also told reporters in Tokyo that the North Korean missile tests violated U.N. Security Council resolutions.